This invention relates to an enlarger-printer for enlarging and printing the image of a microfilm mounted on an aperture card.
In a known type of enlarger-printer, the image of a microfilm mounted on an aperture card is enlarged and printed on a copy sheet. This type of enlarger-printer comprises a copying apparatus and an optical system which enlarges the image of a microfilm to a suitable size and forms an enlarged image on the photosensitive member of the copying apparatus. The microfilm mounted on the aperture card is fed lengthwise, or in the direction in which the major sides of the aperture card are oriented, from the card hopper to a scanning device where scanning of the microfilm is carried out in the direction in which the major sides of the aperture card are oriented while the aperture card moves across the light emanating from a light source. The light that has passed through the image of the microfilm is reflected by reflectors of the optical system and forms a latent image on the photosensitive member, which latent image is then developed and printed on a copy sheet by transfer printing, as is the case with a common copying apparatus.
Some disadvantages are associated with this type of enlarger-printer of the prior art. The enlarger-printer generally has dimensions such that its transverse dimension is relatively large and difficulty is experienced in handling the same. Thus, the enlarger-printer of the type described takes more space than is necessary and its drive system and optical system are complex in construction. Since the image of the microfilm mounted on the aperture card has its major sides parallel with the horizontal, it takes a long time to scan the microfilm if scanning is carried out horizontally or in the direction in which the major sides of the aperture card are oriented.